Monday, February 11, 2013

Journey to Biltmore Estate


Happy Monday y'all!

Alan and I had a great time over the weekend. Since it was our last weekend together and in celebration of Valentine's day, we decided to make a short getaway. I suggested to go to North Carolina to see one of the biggest and oldest mansion in America. Actually, one of my closest friends told me about this luxurious palace and we planned to go there but he had moved already so, quick shout out to Myk if you're reading my blog hehehe. 

Our trip up north to Asheville, NC only took us three hours by car. It's my 14th state to visit in the US and as of today,  I have 36 more to go. I found this cute little town so quaint and charming. It's so peaceful and everyone was so nice and friendly, just like in Georgia :) 

One of the major tourist destination in NC is the Biltmore owned by the Vanderbilt family. We had a tour of the mansion and what's cool about it was they gave each one of us a map and an audio device that looked like a mobile phone. The rooms had a designated number on the map so all we had to do was click on a number depending on where we were and listened to the audio guide. It's like a virtual tour guide. That was really a great idea for me instead of having an actual tour guide. It helped keep the tour very peaceful and organized. I guess they didn't want the place to get so loud to make all the visitors happy and comfortable. Sad thing was I didn't get to capture photographs inside the mansion. Photography and filming were not allowed. My hands had been itching to take pictures because every part of the house, every furniture, from paintings to their interior designs were picturesque. Everything was "instagram worthy"!!! The Vanderbilts exquisitely had an elegant and sophisticated taste in putting up together their one of a kind mansion. I learned a lot from this tour and I felt like I was transported to the 18th century. When I told my sister Jovy about the house, she told me "Oh it's like what I see in Downton Abbey". Now I got intrigued by that popular TV series and made me want to follow it. hehe. 


The tour also came with a complimentary wine tasting. I've never experienced one before and I've always wanted to go to one. I have to admit that I am clueless when it comes to wine so this experience taught me what kind of wine best suits me. Before this trip, when it comes to wine, all I ever drink is the one we have in our church and all I can ever get from that is a teeny tiny sip. That red wine is sweet and because I have a sweet tooth, I enjoy that. When it comes to white wine, I like Moscato because of its sweetness and fruity taste. When we had the chance to taste different varieties of wine, I enjoyed the sweet kinds of wine, just like what I thought. There were three categories of red and white wine to choose from; dry, semi-sweet, and sweet wines. I had 4 glasses of sweet and semi sweet wine and my most favorite was the Biltmore Chenin Blanc which has a delicate flavor of pineapple and pear. Gladly, I was able to handle myself well and my husband was there to drive for us. hahaha. 

For our accommodation, we found a $39 suite outside but close to the estate. We booked it via Expedia's unpublished hotel. It was a decent and affordable hotel called Guesthouse Inn. They also have a hotel inside Biltmore property called Inn on Biltmore, however, it's $299/night. E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E! 

For dinner, we went to Texas Roadhouse just next to our hotel. This was the highlight event for my husband and the most memorable one. If you wonder why, it's because he just loves steak and he remembers all the best steaks he had. hahaha.   

There's a lot more to tell about our trip and I know my brief review doesn't make enough justice to it. We hope you get the chance to visit it too so you could see for yourself.

xoxo,
Joselle

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